Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago-September 18, 2008

It is the quintessential American story, told and retold in thousands of towns and villages across the country of covered wagons, sturdy pioneers, immigrants from over the sea, financial hardships, moving, settling down, raising families. Yet with each retelling with different faces and facts, locations and circumstances, and points –in- time, come, like an heirloom family quilt, new textures to the fabric of the American Saga. Jack and Laurette McCaw are the modern-day reflection of the pioneering spirit, carrying on a long nurtured love of the land, passed down from generation to generation. The Waitsburg Historical Society will honor them Sunday as its 2008 Pioneers of the Year.

Local rural residents have been reporting finding dead deer, victims of the viral disease "bluetongue" Last week, rural resident Audrey Ahmann, who lives on Woods Road north of Waitsburg, reported that her husband Martin had located a half dozen dead deer near their home. According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, bluetongue, aka Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) is common to white-tailed deer, but rarely affects other species. It occurs in the driest part of the year when conditions are just right for the biting gnats, the carriers of the disease.

Twenty Five Years Ago-September 9, 1993

Photo caption: Wendy Jones of Waitsburg displays a smile as plump as the championship swine at Frontier Days in Walla Walla last Saturday. Showing her pig, she won reserve champion 4-H intermediate showman at the fair.

Waitsburg High School continues to keep its sharp high technology edge. New this fall is a class called computer-aided instructions. Veteran teacher Orval Hagerman is teaching three sections of the class and trying to keep the class size of each section or period to about six students.

Shane Smith of Dayton is a kid who likes to clown around. For three years the 12-year old, a member of The Seekers 4-H group, has carried clowning as a 4-H project. In addition to clowning this year, Shane has a sewing project. It seemed only natural that Shane should combine his two 4-H projects by making his own clown costume.

Fifty Years Ago-September 12, 1968

1968-69 will be the inaugural year for the newly-formed Four Count Guidance services which will headquarter in Dayton. The program is under the supervision of r. Eugene Files of Walla Walla and the Dayton office will be headed by Charles A. Blick assisted by Lora Mae Bowles and Ronald L. Ray.

Photo caption: General Chairman for the Commercial Club Salmon Bake is none other than Ernest Mikkelsen. "Mik" has been in charge of this fine feed for as long as anyone around here can remember, and he always comes up with bigger and better productions. Here Mike is directing traffic, helping people find seats.

Photo caption: The veteran line that will start for the Waitsburg Cardinals against the Zillah team there this coming Friday evening: Tom Archer and Randy Halsey, outside tackle: Jerry Miller, inside tackle: Marc Zuger, guard:, Randy Pearson, Center, and George Bodman:, guard. Jim Leid, end.

Seventy Five Years Ago- Sept 17, 1943

Leroy Todt has rented part of the Chevrolet Garage on Main Street to be used for an auto repair shop, and will run it in conjunction with the Union Oil Station, which he has had rented for the past year.

Glen Hofer is president of the student body this year assisted by Raymond Jeremiah, vice pres: Colleen Collins, sec, Phyllis Anderson, Cardinal Editor, Carlene Carson and Jim Cresswell, yell leaders.

The Waitsburg schools opened with an enrollment of 78, compared to 84 at this time last year. In the grade school 162 are enrolled compared to 150 last year.

One Hundred Years Ago-Sept 20-1918

A.F. Mock of Rt. 3, received through the mail this week, a souvenir in the shape of a battered Hun steel helmet. The helmet has a bullet hole through both sides of it.

The rain of last Friday and Friday night were welcomed by those farmers who had completed their threshing as it finished putting the ground in fine condition for fall seeding.

Mrs. Monroe head of the gauze department asks that all gauze work for the Red Cross and who are interested in doing it, report for work on Thursday afternoon of each week.

One Hundred Twenty Five Years Ago

Sept 22, 1893

Miss Mary Dixon has accepted a position as teacher in Whitman College.

If you itch for fame, go into a graveyard and scratch yourself against a tombstone.

During the heavy rains here last week, the Blue Mountains received a heavy mantle of snow.

Any of our subscribers who prefer so to do, can pay their subscription in wood, wheat, oats, or barley.

Bert Witt, the six year old son of C. J. Witt, and wife met with a severe accident during the family's journey to their ranch. The little fellow fell, while walking, and one of the wheel of the wagon ran over him, injuring him severely.

"Won't you tell us why you don't get married?" asked a Dayton dude of a lady at a whist party the other night. "Well, if you must know," she said, "there is at my home a parrot that swears, a mule that kicks, and a monkey that chews: so I have no use for a husband."